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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25760383">Everything I Hold Dear Resides in Those Eyes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cIoudsmiIes/pseuds/cIoudsmiIes'>cIoudsmiIes</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Cloti - Freeform, F/M, First Time, Fluff, Modern but with fictional places and also chocobos, Romance, Smut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:08:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>21,776</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25760383</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cIoudsmiIes/pseuds/cIoudsmiIes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is just the prologue. There's going to be one or two chunks for the main story, then an epilogue as well. Don't worry, the smut will arrive in part two. I tagged it ahead of time in case people don't want to start reading and then not be able to continue because of the explicit content. </p><p>This is the gooiest, cheesiest thing my mind has ever produced.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tifa Lockhart &amp; Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>122</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Cloud and Tifa</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <strong>Prologue</strong>
</h1>
<p>
  <span>Cloud fiddled with the wrapper of his flight’s complimentary Biscoff cookie and sipped at his whiskey, watching through the window as the plane descended into Nibelheim. He jolted as the wheels hit the tarmac, then finished his drink in one long pull, the amber elixir burning pleasantly as it passed down his throat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Standing to pull his carry-on from the overhead compartment, his thoughts drowned out the sound of the captain thanking him and the other passengers for flying with Midgar Airlines. It had been five years since he’d seen his friends, his </span>
  <em>
    <span>family</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Naturally, his nerves were completely shot. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zack, his best friend, was meant to be waiting for him at arrivals. He’d known Zack since they were eight years old. Zack had been crying at a picnic bench during recess. It was his first day at Nibelheim Elementary after moving from Gongaga with his mom. His dad had passed away only a few months before. Cloud didn’t have any friends back then because he was painfully shy, not to mention the stutter he spoke with. It was much easier for the other kids to make fun of him, or completely ignore him, than to try understanding him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So, when he’d seen Zack, all alone and sobbing as everyone around them played, he couldn’t leave him be. Rather, he did what he would’ve wanted someone to do for him in that situation: he sat down across from him and started talking to him as if it were any other day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“H-h-h-hi. My name’s Cloud. What’s y-yours?” Cloud’s mother always told him that he stuttered because his mind moved faster than his mouth could. He wished, more than anything, that he could slow his thoughts and calm his mind, but it absolutely refused to cooperate, opting instead to race madly and make him trip over words like errant rocks hidden in tall grass.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The boy sitting across from him, his head covered with spiky, dark blue hair, sniffled and wiped the sleeve of his jacket over his face. “I’m Zack,” he said quietly.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Cloud nodded at him and smiled. “It’s nice to m-m-meet you, Zack. H-have you ever p-p-p-played with a yo-yo before?” He reached into his pocket and pulled the toy out, showing it to the other boy.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Zack simply shook his head.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s s-s-super easy. H-here, I’ll sh-sh-sh-show you.” Cloud stood up, hooked the end of the yo-yo’s string around his finger, released it, and let it fall towards the ground, pulling it up at the last second. He did this a few more times, demonstrating the basic technique for Zack, then “walked the dog” along the table before swinging the yo-yo back up and catching it in his hand.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It was one of the simplest tricks you could do, but it was apparently enough to impress Zack because he immediately started clapping his hands and giggling, a distorted, watery sound thanks to the tears he’d shed, although no less joyful for it. “That was so cool! Can you teach me?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Cloud’s heart warmed. He did it. He finally made a friend. “S-s-sure, of course I can!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And the rest was history. From that moment on, they were inseparable. Eventually, Zack found the strength to tell Cloud about his dad, how he’d died in a car accident, hit by a drunk driver. He admitted to Cloud how much he missed his dad, and Cloud explained that he’d never known his dad, that it had always just been him and his mom. Zack said that must have meant Cloud </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>loved his mother, and Cloud was all too eager to agree, to tell Zack everything about his mom. He told Zack about what an amazing cook she was, how she handmade his Halloween costume every year, that she never made him feel bad for stuttering, the way she would sing along with different records as she cleaned the house, how sometimes she would stop cleaning and start dancing with him instead. They often got in trouble for talking during class but, secretly, their teacher was just happy to see Cloud opening up and smiling so much.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite the state he was in when Cloud first found him, Zack was extremely energetic, almost like a puppy, which only made Cloud love him even more. A symptom of all that energy, though, was Zack’s more outgoing nature. He wasn’t afraid of anyone, which meant that he also wasn’t afraid of standing up to them. Anytime he caught someone picking on Cloud, he had something to say about it. Once, during snack time, Zack overheard another boy say that Cloud’s dad probably left because he was embarrassed to have Cloud for a son, so he took his cup of fruit punch and poured it over the kid’s head. He ended up with detention, but no one made fun of Cloud after that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A little over a year after they met, not long before they turned ten years old, Zack’s mom met a man named Brian Lockhart, whose wife had passed around the same time that Zack’s dad had. This shared experience made them fast friends, which gradually turned into something more. Before Zack or Cloud knew it, Brian was proposing to Zack’s mom, and she was accepting, which meant Zack now had a stepdad. More than that, though, he also had a stepsister: Tifa Lockhart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud remembered the first time he met Tifa vividly. He’d walked into Zack’s house after school, the same as most days, and she’d been in the kitchen with Zack’s mom, mixing cookie dough and giggling as Zack’s mom playfully tossed flour at her. Her laugh was the most enchanting sound he’d ever heard, piercing and pure. He found himself gravitating toward the kitchen, more reflex or instinct than active choice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh yeah, you haven’t met Tifa yet,” Zack said, noticing where Cloud’s attention had gone. “Here, I’ll introduce you.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Cloud tossed her name around in his mind, making himself more comfortable with it, not wanting to stutter the first time he spoke to her. He followed Zack into the kitchen, his palms growing sweatier by the second.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hey, Teef!” Zack called.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She turned around, her eyes instantly locking with Cloud’s, and the world stopped turning underneath him. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He’d never given much thought to “beauty” or what it meant for someone to be “pretty” because his mother had raised him to see beyond the surface of a person and prioritize who they are over what they look like. Looking at Tifa, though, he knew, immediately and without question, that she was as beautiful as anyone could possibly be. Her hair was long and dark, the color of the chocolate syrup he put in his milk each morning. It fell over her shoulders like silk. He couldn’t help noticing how soft it looked. And she had these asymmetric bangs that perfectly framed her face. He wondered what it would look like if it were curled or braided or pulled into a ponytail. He hoped he’d find out someday.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>But her </span>
  </em>
  <span>eyes</span>
  <em>
    <span>. They were this confounding mixture of red and brown, shifting depending on how the light hit them. He wanted to memorize each and every gradient that lay hidden in their depths. Studying them, he found everything that was good and right in this world. It was all there in her eyes: love, happiness, freedom, peace. He could live inside her eyes. He could make a home inside them.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course, these thoughts were all very harrowing for a ten year-old boy to be struck with in a split second of eye contact.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Tifa,” Zack started, his voice yanking Cloud violently from his daze, “this is my best friend, Cloud.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The girl smiled wide and something took root in him. She laced her fingers behind her back, blushing, and it started to bloom. “Hi, Cloud! I’m excited to finally meet you. Zack talks about you all the time when he comes over to our house for dinner.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Zack groaned at her, and Cloud snickered, bumping the other boy with his elbow. Then he cleared his throat and said, “I’m excited to m-m-meet you, t-t-t-too, Tifa.” His face grew hot. At least he hadn’t stuttered her name. “S-sorry.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She furrowed her brow and tilted her head at him, confused. It was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen. “What for?” she asked.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“M-m-my stutter. It’s em-embarrassing.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“That’s a silly thing to be embarrassed about.” She took a step closer to him. “You know, my mama was hearing impaired. She had cancer, a brain tumor. She woke up one day and suddenly couldn’t hear. But she didn’t let it bother her. She called it an opportunity and, together, we learned sign language. I asked her once if it upset her that everyone else didn’t know sign language, that she couldn’t understand their words and they couldn’t understand hers because the words were in different languages. And you know what she said?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>They were all engrossed in Tifa’s speech. Zack, Cloud, and even Zack’s mom. Cloud had a feeling this happened often where Tifa was concerned. He knew her question was rhetorical, but he shook his head anyway, hypnotized.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“She said that words aren’t the only way to tell someone how you feel. She said it’s the feeling itself that’s important. She talked about how the people in her life who didn’t know how to speak sign language told her how they felt with their eyes, with their touch.” Cloud’s heart pounded wildly against his rib cage as Tifa lifted her hand to his shoulder and leaned closer, looking deep into his eyes. “Do you put good feelings behind your words, Cloud?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He swallowed hard. “I th-th-think so.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Impossibly, her smile brightened. “Then it doesn’t matter how fast you say them.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Th-thank you,” he whispered, the bloom that had formed in him earlier now fully blossomed.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Suddenly, Tifa’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “You know what is embarrassing, though?” She looked down at her child-size apron, then to Zack, then to Zack’s mom, smirking. She reached her hand out behind herself, toward the counter, and before Cloud could react, she was dumping a handful of flour over his head to the sound of Zack and his mother’s cackling in the background. Tifa ruffled her hand through Cloud’s hair and said, “There! Now </span>
  </em>
  <span>that</span>
  <em>
    <span> is embarrassing.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Cloud laughed in earnest, then shook his head like a wet dog, flour flying everywhere as Tifa squealed in protest. “Wh-wh-whoops,” he said smugly.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Tifa shoved his shoulder lightly as her squeals tapered back into giggles. She looked Cloud up and down and grinned. “Your hair looks like a Chocobo.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“It totally does!” Zack proclaimed, amazed he hadn’t noticed the resemblance before now.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Gasping with faux hurt, Cloud pointed at Zack. “Y-y-y-you take that b-back!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Zack’s mom wiped the flour from her own hands, her laughter subsiding. “All right, you rascals. This dispute will have to be settled later. Tifa and I need to get the cookies in the oven if they’re going to be ready to eat after dinner. You two go set the table.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yes, ma’am,” Zack replied cheekily, mock saluting. He quit the kitchen and headed for the dining room. Cloud made to follow him but turned back to look at Tifa one last time, only to catch her doing the same. They smiled at each other, and Cloud walked away hoping that his eyes had told her exactly what he was feeling.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After that, Cloud and Tifa became even more inseparable than he and Zack. Wherever Tifa went, Cloud followed, and whatever Cloud did, Tifa wanted to be doing, too. Surprisingly, Zack never complained. He’d never admit it, but he was happy to spend all his time with the both of them because he loved them both in equal measure, which is to say about as much as you could ever love another person. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shortly after Tifa and Zack’s parents got married, the three of them decided to take Tae Kwon Do classes together. They signed up with Master Zangan and quickly became his brightest students. Cloud and Tifa excelled so much that, on multiple occasions, they found themselves competing against each other in the championship of the annual tournament. They faced each other in the final match five times. Cloud won twice, and Tifa won three times. She never let him forget it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they got older, Cloud and Zack didn’t allow the fact that Tifa was in the year before to keep them from spending time together at school. Every year, they coerced their counselors into giving them the same lunch hour. Over the years, the other seats at their table filled with the new friends that they’d made. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zack got to know Tseng and Cissnei in biology class when they all ended up on a group project together. With Tseng and Cissnei came their friends from student government: Reno, Rude, Elena, and Rufus. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tifa joined the school’s Earth Club, which is where she met Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud took a shop class for auto mechanics and befriended Cid, who brought along his girlfriend, Shera. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And they were rounded out by Vincent, who Zack, Cloud, and Tifa had met at the neighborhood skatepark. He went to school with them as well but had made a habit of staying invisible, of hiding in the shadows. The only time he ever came out was when he was hanging out with all of them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A motley crew by every definition of the word, they experienced their fair share of teenage drama. Rufus and Tseng broke up and got back together more times than any of them could count. Reno constantly got into arguments with… well, with everyone. Vincent was often moody, blunt, and downright insulting. Zack dated Cissnei, who then realized she liked women and started dating Elena instead. Biggs was in love with Jessie, but Jessie didn’t feel the same. Rude had feelings for Tifa that everyone knew about but never discussed. Cid and Shera argued like a married couple. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But at the end of the day, they all cared for each other deeply. Rufus only broke up with Tseng whenever he was most afraid of his dad finding out about his sexuality, which everyone understood because they knew who his dad was. Reno had a chip on his shoulder because he was an orphan, who subconsciously felt the need to push others away before they could choose to leave him. Vincent suffered from clinical depression and agoraphobia, so they appreciated the fact that he pushed through all of that to be with them at all. Zack and Cissnei were friends before they dated, so there was no reason for them not to be once they stopped dating, especially since Zack considered Elena his friend, too. He just wanted them to be happy. Biggs was satisfied to be with Jessie in any capacity; whether their relationship was platonic or romantic, it didn’t matter so long as they were together. And as much as Rude may have been attracted to Tifa, he respected her that much more, so he never let his feelings create any unwanted tension between them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud was honored just to know them, let alone call them his friends. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He managed to remain a spectator for most of their theatrics, but there was one time where he found himself at the center of it all: his senior prom. He hadn’t expected anyone to ask him to prom because he didn’t think himself much worth asking, and no one had asked him the year before. But as was often the case, he’d been wrong. He was standing at his locker during a passing period, switching out the textbooks in his backpack, when Jessie practically skipped up to him, her ponytail swinging with each step. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hey, Cloud!” Jessie chimed.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Cloud paused in his task. “Hey, Jess. What’s up?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She started fidgeting with the straps of her backpack. “So,” she said, her voice shaking slightly, “I was thinking. Prom is coming up…” Her words trailed off as if she expected Cloud to know where she was going with this, but he was hopelessly lost.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“That’s true,” he responded, completely obtuse.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She sighed, exasperated, and rolled her eyes at him. “Would you… like to go with me?” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The textbooks he’d been holding tumbled from his hands gracelessly, and his blood ran cold. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry!” He crouched down to pick up his belongings and felt the air shift as Jessie crouched down to help him.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Once he’d gathered them into a pile, he moved to pick them up but was stopped by the resistance of her hand. “Cloud,” she whispered. He slowly lifted his gaze to meet hers. “Will you go to prom with me?” His heart dropped into his stomach, solid as a rock. He was lucky to be asked to prom by Jessie. Jessie was beautiful and sweet and smart and funny. And they had known each other for years. She was one of his best friends. But she wasn’t… </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He sighed, “Jess, wouldn’t you rather go to prom with someone that you, you know, </span>
  </em>
  <span>like</span>
  <em>
    <span>?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I do like you, Cloud…” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“You know what I mean,” he replied.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Her eyes began to shine with unshed tears. “Yeah, I do.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Cloud’s stomach turned with guilt, tossing his stone heart around inside of it. “Jess—”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Forget it,” she cut him off, getting to her feet and practically running away, her ponytail still swaying. His eyes followed after her, and he watched as she brought her hand up and swiped it across her cheek.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He remembered being so nauseated, so anxious that he skipped the rest of his classes that day, sneaking off to the football field and sitting on the top row of bleachers, his favorite place to be alone. A few hours later, Tifa found him oscillating between eating his lunch and drawing in his sketchbook, the familiar thud of her booted steps alerting him to her presence. He didn’t greet her, didn’t say anything at all, just lifted his bag of salt and vinegar chips over his shoulder, smiling to himself as she instinctively reached inside and grabbed one. He listened to the sounds of her crunching for a few moments, followed by the sounds of her wiping her hand off on her jeans. Then she chose to break the silence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I found Jessie crying in the bathroom earlier.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Cloud scrubbed his hand over his face. He took a deep breath, turning to look at Tifa. “I didn’t mean to hurt her.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She smiled gently as she sat down beside him. “I know.” Her hand came up to cup his jaw, her thumb brushing across his cheek. When she pulled away, blistering heat left in the wake of her touch, she showed him the smudge of graphite she’d just cleaned off of him and giggled brightly. She grabbed the orange soda sitting next to him and took a sip, then gestured toward his sketchbook. “What are you drawing?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He held it up for her to get a better look. “It’s a bike, like the kind we work on in the garage, except </span>
  </em>
  <span>way</span>
  <em>
    <span> faster.” He ran his hand over the sketch wistfully. “I think I might build it someday.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She examined the drawing with care. “I love it.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Hearing her say that shouldn’t have pleased him so much, but it did. He absolutely preened.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I have one suggestion, though,” she said, biting back a grin.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Do tell,” he encouraged.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“The seat needs to be bigger. There’s no way you’ll fit two people on it with those proportions.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He quirked a brow at her. “Oh? Planning on making me your personal chauffeur, are you?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She finally gave into the grin fighting to paint her features, her cheeks dimpling and her nose scrunching. “Of course! I actually convinced my dad to marry Zack’s mom on the off chance that you, Zack’s best friend, might someday assemble a motorcycle from scratch and be able to give me rides. Ingenious, right?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Inspired even,” he answered, smiling at her openly. He closed his sketchbook and tucked it into his backpack. Tifa was staring at him, inscrutable, as he struggled with the zipper. “What’s that look for?” he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She bit her lip, thinking. “Cloud… why’d you turn Jessie down?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Because I don’t see her that way,” he answered simply.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“What way?” She persisted.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He huffed, irritation needling at his brain. “Romantically.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She narrowed her eyes, still not satisfied by this answer. “You could’ve gone as friends.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“She might be able to do that,” he countered, “but I couldn’t. Call me soft all you want, but if I were going to take someone to prom, I would want it to be… special. I would want it to be </span>
  </em>
  <span>with </span>
  <em>
    <span>someone special.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>This seemed to placate her. “I don’t think that makes you soft,” she said tenderly. “I think it makes you sweet.” Her head fell against his shoulder. “I think it makes you Cloud.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>His blood sang with warmth. No matter what anyone else said or thought about him, it was her opinion that counted. “Besides,” he went on to say, “all of us are already going as friends anyway, so it’s not like it would’ve made much of a difference.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She hummed and said, “I suppose you’re right.” Then she was standing, stretching her arms out above her head and behind her back. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Cloud tried not to gape, but everything she did was so graceful, a feat of loveliness. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She walked down the bleacher steps, leaving Cloud to his own devices and making for the main building again, but stopped before she turned the corner around the railing. “My dress is purple, by the way,” she said, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>And then she walked off while he sat there, speechless and so, so miserably in love with her. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If any of their friends made the connection when Cloud showed up for prom that year with a purple tie, they didn’t say anything.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud had always known he was in love with Tifa. He’d known it since he met her, but she was Zack’s sister, his </span>
  <em>
    <span>best friend’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> sister. And Zack was extremely protective of Tifa, an amazing big brother. Cloud was grateful for that because he knew Zack would never let anything happen to her. But it also meant that Zack would probably kill him if he told the truth about his feelings for her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On top of all that, though, Tifa was too good for him. She was too good for anyone if he was being honest, but most certainly too good for him. She was beautiful in a way that made it hurt just to look at her, kind in a way that was totally selfless, intelligent in a way that made her threatening to some and intimidating to most, and passionate in a way that gave her a sort of gravitational pull every time she spoke. No one ever doubted whether or not Tifa meant what she said to them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She cared about people, loved them, even when they probably didn’t deserve it. And she was generous with her love. She remembered everybody’s name and always made an effort to smile at them or say hello as she walked by. On her worst days, she still did all she could to make sure those around her had a better one. She wanted people to feel valued and important. She believed everyone was extraordinary and saw it as her responsibility to make sure they knew it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud noticed this, and in noticing this, he also noticed that this left Tifa’s own self-esteem neglected. So, he made that </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>responsibility.</span>
</p>
<p><span>Tifa spent their lunch period sitting at the table and offering support in various forms:</span> <span>reassuring Jessie that her hair looked nice and braiding it into some elaborate new style whenever Jessie didn’t believe her, asking Reno his opinion on the latest issue of his favorite comic, announcing to everyone that Tseng had gotten a perfect score on their most recent calculus test, asking Cid how much he had left to raise for the car he had an eye on and offering him what she’d made from her last few babysitting gigs, encouraging Zack to go out for the football team, surprising Vincent with a vinyl of his favorite band’s newest album, inviting Cissnei, Elena, Shera, and Jessie over for a girls’ night that upcoming weekend, promising Biggs and Wedge that she hadn’t forgotten their plans to hit the arcade that evening, letting Rude and Rufus copy her answers to the physics homework they’d forgotten to do the night before, and telling Cloud how much she loved the book he recommended to her last week. </span></p>
<p>
  <span>While she did all of that, Cloud spent their lunch period making sure one of the frosted sugar cookies she loved always ended up on her tray, stealing her phone and adding a new playlist to her Spotify account titled “For When You Can’t Sleep,” doodling her favorite flower on the front of her binder, massaging her knuckles when they were sore from slamming against the punching bag that hung in her bedroom, and discretely slipping the earrings he couldn’t help but buy for her into her backpack when she wasn’t looking. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He loved her. He adored her. He was content just to be near her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the summer after he graduated, everything fell apart. Something terrible happened that Cloud didn’t know how to process, didn’t know how to live with, so he ran from it. He applied to join the Peace Corps and got shipped out to Wutai, thousands of miles away. The two years of his first tour passed, and he still wasn’t ready to face reality, so he applied for the optional year-long extension. The extension year ended, but even that wasn’t enough time, so he applied for a second tour. His second tour ended a week ago… and he was finally going home.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d kept up as minimal a level of communication as possible with his friends while he was gone, opting only to write letters every few weeks. They always wrote him back. They never asked him why he left, never pushed him to call or text, never asked him when he was coming back, never expressed any judgment toward him at all. They only told him that they missed him and kept him updated on the major developments in their lives. And it meant more to him than they would ever know.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A month before his tour ended, he’d written Zack and told him he booked a flight to Nibelheim. The letter Zack had sent back read, “Send me your flight information, idiot. I’ll be there with bells on.” Cloud would never admit it to anyone, but he’d been so instantly relieved that he actually started crying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He thought of all of this as he departed the plane, walked to baggage claim, grabbed his luggage, and made his way to arrivals. His pulse was racing as the sign hanging above his gate came into view. His eyes skimmed the crowd until they found what they were looking for: spiky, dark blue hair. “Zack!” he shouted abruptly, surprising himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zack’s eyes darted to Cloud immediately, widening like a cartoon character’s. He broke into a sprint, the goofiest grin on his face, and yelled, “Buddy!” As soon as he was within reach, Zack pulled Cloud into his arms and squeezed him tight. Cloud didn’t hesitate to hug him back. They held each other for a while, probably longer than was socially acceptable. As they parted, they clapped each other on the back, then clutched each other’s forearms, not quite willing to break the physical connection yet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud heard a bell-like voice, unfamiliar but not unpleasant, say, “This is the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen!” He traced the sound to a pretty girl standing just a few feet away from them. She was wearing a pink sundress, and her light brown hair was twisted into a long, thick braid, held up by a matching pink bow. This must be Aerith, he realized, remembering the description of her that Zack had provided in his letters.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Prying his hands away from Zack, he stepped toward her and offered his hand. “Aerith, I presume.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She gasped with delight and took his hand in both of hers. “That’s right! I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am to meet you, Cloud. Zack talks about you </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> the time, I swear.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something about Aerith’s words reminded him… “Zack, where’s</span>
  <em>
    <span>—</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tifa?” Zack inferred.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud nodded, his anxiety muting him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She wanted to come, believe me, but she had to watch Marlene. They’re both waiting for us back at the house.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud let out a breath he hadn’t noticed he was holding. He didn’t know who Marlene was, but he could worry about that later. For now, all that mattered was how close he was to seeing Tifa again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zack sighed and rolled his eyes. “Come on, dumbass.” He picked up Cloud’s luggage and made for the parking garage, ignoring Cloud’s protests about how he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>perfectly capable of carrying his own luggage</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once they were all strapped into Zack’s SUV and on the road, Cloud leaned forward, poking his head in over the console between the two front seats. “So, Aerith, there is one thing Zack left out of his letters waxing poetic about you…” Aerith cackled as Zack threatened to </span>
  <em>
    <span>come back there and teach him a lesson</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “How did you two get together?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zack flushed with guilt as Aerith said, “Ah, left that out, did he? Well, I go to Midgar University with Tifa. She and I are both business majors. We met in our Intro to Marketing class and hit it off instantly. Soon enough, we were best friends. And, terrible best friend that I am, I fell in love with her brother. I fought it as long as I could, but one day I showed up at their house because I was supposed to be hanging out with Tifa, and she wasn’t home yet. It was just me and Zack. We had never been alone before, and… I’m sure you can imagine the rest.” She raised her eyebrows suggestively, and Cloud groaned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d rather not, thanks.” Zack and Aerith both laughed this time, full and bright. Cloud had thought he might feel out of place being with everyone again, but that fear was quickly dissipating. It felt easy around Zack, the same as it always had. And Aerith was already growing on him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The irony wasn’t lost on him, though, that Zack had fallen in love with his sister’s best friend. He also didn’t miss the significant look Zack had been giving him in the rearview mirror while Aerith spoke. They would have to talk about it soon. But it was tabled for now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You said you’re a business major, right? What do you want to do once you’ve got your degree? What’s your dream?” He gestured theatrically, and she smiled, bemused.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m a florist. Right now, I just sell locally from a rolling cart that Zack made for me, but I’d like to have my own shop someday, a big one. I want to do arrangements for weddings. That’s ‘the dream,’” she said, making air quotes with her hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s a good dream,” he told her. And he meant it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her smile turned fond. “Thank you, Cloud.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“All right, you two. We’re here,” Zack announced. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud’s palms instantly started to sweat as the vehicle came to a stop on the driveway. He undid his seatbelt and climbed out of the backseat, his skin buzzing with anticipation as he shut the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tifa and Marlene are in the backyard,” Aerith explained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He zeroed in on the gate at the side of their house, clearly leading to said backyard. His feet started moving of their own free will.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want to take your luggage inside?” Zack asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It can wait,” Cloud quickly responded. He thought he heard Zack chuckle, but he couldn’t be sure because his attention was hyper focused on what was waiting for him behind this gate. It might as well have been Heaven’s gate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He unlatched it carefully and continued, rounding the corner of the house, and then…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The clouds broke. She was there. Right in front of him. Radiant and real. It was like he’d spent the last five years in an endless night, and she was the dawn, finally cresting, lancing him with light. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was standing with her back to him in front of a patch of flowers, watering can tipped in her hand, showering the blooms. The little girl, Marlene, sat up on her hip. Tifa’s arm was  around Marlene’s waist, Marlene’s arms around her neck. The little girl’s small head lay against Tifa’s shoulder. Despite this, Cloud could hear Marlene giggling as Tifa sang to her, some song implying that Marlene was a flower in need of watering, a flower only starting to grow. The display wrung his heart out like a wet rag, every last drop of affection and yearning flowing from him freely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Cloud first met Tifa, he’d thought she was as beautiful as anyone could possibly be. He’d been wrong. So, so wrong. Somehow, impossibly, she had grown even more beautiful while he was gone, redefining the word. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her hair hung all the way down to her thigh, still full and dark, shining and soft as silk, cascading down her back like the water she was showering the flowers with. The myriad strands were tied together at the end with a red ribbon. She was wearing her signature red combat boots, more worn now with the time that had passed, the toes completely scuffed. He trailed his eyes up her long, lean legs, toned and smooth, leading to ample, shapely hips, wrapped in tight, black leather shorts. Her waist was bare, slender and sleek. She wore a cropped white tank top over a black sports bra. Her arms looked stronger than ever, conditioned by years of martial arts and boxing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He thought she might be a figment of his imagination, some sort of mirage, but then she sat the watering can down and stopped singing. Marlene lifted her head up. Her eyes bugged, and she pointed right at him. “Tifa, that man looks like a chocobo!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tifa gasped, loud enough for him to hear from across the yard. She sat Marlene down carefully, then turned on her heels. “Cloud!” she yelled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suddenly, his arms were full of her, one encircling her while the other came up to cradle her head. She’d jumped when she ran to him, wrapping her legs around his hips, clinging to him desperately. He buried his face in her neck, breathing her in. He had no idea how he’d lived without this for so long.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually, they found the will to break apart. His hand came around to frame her face, his thumb brushing over her cheek, catching a stray tear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She smiled sweetly and said, “I missed you, too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He huffed a laugh, his ribcage splitting open, making space for her. “I didn’t say that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t have to,” she quipped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked into her carmine eyes, shining with profound emotion, telling him how she felt in a way that words never could.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was home. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I am so, so unbelievably sorry this took so long. My mental health has been in the toilet for the past month and only recently started to improve, meaning that my mind was finally willing to write again. I highly suggest reading the prologue, even if you've already read it, since it has been so long since I originally published, and it leads directly into this part. This part also references quite a few things established in the prologue, so yeah, please read it! This was only supposed to be a short one shot, but it ended up so much longer, and I probably should've separated it into chapters, but fuck it. Here you go! I hope you enjoy it.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Tifa, who’s that?” Marlene asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cloud had forgotten there were other people in the backyard with them. Honestly, he’d forgotten there were other people in the world at all.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He released Tifa from his hold, but she didn’t detach herself immediately. She slid her hands up from his shoulders to cup his face and stared at him intently, like she was trying to make sure it was really him. He offered her a lopsided smile, and all the breath rushed from her lungs, its warmth washing over his face and sending a shiver down his spine. Then she leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek, singeing his skin, before disentangling herself from him and turning back to Marlene.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Closing her fingers around Cloud’s wrist, she pulled him toward the little girl. “Marlene, this is my best friend, the one I was telling you about. Remember? He lived far away for a long time, but now he’s home.” Cloud couldn’t help the blush that colored his cheeks at Tifa calling him her best friend. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marlene’s eyes lit up. “You’re the one who drew the pictures in Tifa’s room!” His blush deepened. He definitely couldn’t wrap his mind around the image of Tifa hanging his work on her walls.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s right,” Tifa said, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cloud’s eyes tracked the motion, and his heart flew into his throat as he recognized the silver, teardrop-shaped earring she was wearing. It was from the pair he’d bought her while they were in high school. It had to be a coincidence, right? She probably didn’t wear them often, probably didn’t even remember that he’d gotten them for her. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zack’s voice broke him from his thoughts. “What do you say we take this inside, guys? Cloud’s luggage is probably getting pretty lonesome in the car, and I’m sure he’s tired from his flight.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tifa scooped Marlene up. “Sounds like a plan. Your daddy will be here to pick you up soon anyway,” she said, poking the tiny brunette in the side, eliciting a giggle.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But as Tifa walked toward the back porch, Marlene twisted in her arms. “Wait, Tifa, I only just met Cloud! I haven’t gotten to ask him his favorite color yet. I want to talk to him some more.” She punctuated her words with grabby hands aimed at Cloud, and something melted inside of him. Kids used to make him uncomfortable, but his time volunteering in Wutai had changed that.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I think that can be arranged,” he said, walking up and lifting Marlene out of Tifa’s arms, into his own. “It’s red, by the way. My favorite color.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tifa smiled and shook her head fondly. “Well, I guess I’ll leave you to it.” She turned and made her way inside the house.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With her out of earshot, he saw an opening. “Marlene, does Tifa wear those earrings a lot?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Before Marlene could answer, though, Aerith sidled up and fielded the question herself. “All the time! I’ve never seen her without them. Sometimes, I wonder if she even leaves them on in the shower.” Cloud willed himself not to think about Tifa in the shower. “Why do you ask?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He cleared his throat awkwardly. “I bought them for her. A longtime ago.”<br/><br/></p>
<p>“Of <em>course </em>you did.” Aerith smirked at him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rather than entertain her clearly mischievous train of thought, Cloud ignored her and carried Marlene inside. As he went, the token hanging on the silver chain around his neck felt especially heavy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Half an hour later, he found himself sitting at Zack and Tifa’s dining table next to Marlene, sketchbook in front of him and pencil in hand as he attempted to capture the little girl’s likeness on paper while she told him all about herself. She was a ball of pure, concentrated energy, so it was no easy task, but he managed. Zack and Tifa had been much the same way when he first started trying to draw, never able to stay in one place, making him really work for it if he wanted to catch the details of their features. It gave him an especially keen eye. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“My daddy adopted me when I was just a baby. He showed me a picture once, and I fit into one of his hands. I was so small! He took care of me all by himself for a really long time, but then he met Tifa at work, and she started to take care of me, too. My daddy runs a non… non… Wait, what’s it called, Tifa?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Non-profit, sweetie,” Tifa replied.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah, that! My daddy runs one of those, and it’s all about saving the planet. He’s trying to shrink Midgar’s feet<em>—</em>”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cloud lifted a questioning eyebrow at Tifa, who chuckled and whispered, “He’s trying to reduce Midgar’s carbon footprint.” He nodded and bit his cheek to keep from laughing. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What about you, Marlene?” Cloud asked, his eyes still focused on the work in front of him. “What do you want to do when you grow up? What do you want to be?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marlene looked up at the ceiling, her mouth hanging open, like she could actually see the answer inside of her brain if she tried hard enough. “Well, I really like Aerith’s flowers, and I think I might like to grow some of my own one day. But it’s also fun when Tifa goes through Zangan’s drills with me because it makes me feel strong.” She craned her head over to look at Cloud’s progress. “Maybe you could teach me to draw, too! Maybe I can do a lot of things.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tifa reached out and combed her hand through Marlene’s hair. “You can do anything you want to, Mar.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Really?” Marlene’s voice was filled with absolute wonder.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Of course,” Cloud said, lifting his gaze to the little girl and offering her a small smile. “And we’ll help you.” He set his pencil down, content with the sketch, then slid it across the table to her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her eyebrows shot up as she let out a tiny gasp. “Wow…” She picked up the drawing pad and ran her fingers over the portrait. Then she giggled, the tinkling of a wind chime, and turned the image toward Tifa, holding it up next to her face, pointing between the two. “It’s me!” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The caterpillar that had been cocooning inside his heart metamorphosed, unfurling its wings and fluttering wildly when Tifa looked at him and mouthed, “Thank you.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Suddenly, Zack walked into the room.He and Aerith had been in the kitchen making dinner for themselves. “Sorry to interrupt the fun, but Barret’s here.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Daddy!” Marlene jumped up from her seat and ran out of the room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cloud grabbed the sketchbook and followed after her with Zack and Tifa in tow. When he entered the foyer, he discovered what was probably the largest man he’d ever seen lifting Marlene up onto his shoulder.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sorry I’m late, Teef. Got caught up at work chewing out some joker who works in the mayor’s office. They want to remove the recycling bins we set up throughout the city. Can you believe that? We do them a favor, free of charge, and they decide to bite the hand that feeds.” The man, Barret, was wearing sunglasses inside, a gold chain hanging around his neck and a tank top stretched across his burly chest. To most, he probably gave off an air that was threatening, but seeing him with Marlene, hearing him talk about his efforts to prolong the life of the planet, only made Cloud see the warm heart hidden behind his hulking frame.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No worries. You know I’m always happy to spend time with my favorite girl,” Tifa responded, winking at Marlene. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Who’s this?” Barret asked, zeroing in on Cloud. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marlene piped up at the reminder. “Oh! Daddy, that’s Cloud, Tifa’s best friend. He drew a picture of me!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She gestured to the pad in Cloud’s hands, so he carefully tore out the sheet with her portrait on it and offered it to her father. Barret took it from him, inspecting the sketch. After a while, he grunted and said, “Well, a drawing could never do you justice, baby girl, but this one gets pretty close!” He looked at Cloud. “Thank you. I’ll have to find a frame for it when we get home. ‘Bout damn time I met the ‘Cloud’ that Tifa’s always going on about. Can’t say I expected to match the name to thatspiky head of hair, though.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cloud chuckled and nodded. “It’s nice to meet you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“All right! I suppose we better get goin’ then.” Barret turned to Tifa. “Marle said she’s still good to watch the rugrat this week, so you’re in the clear. Zack, give Aerith my best. I’m sure we’ll see you around, Spiky.” Zack opened the door, a shit-eating grin on his face, and Barret headed for the truck idling on the driveway. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marlene yelled over her shoulder, “Bye, Tifa! Bye, Zack! Bye, Cloud!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tifa blew her a kiss, and the little girl blew one back. Zack made a show of reaching out and pretending to catch it, then pressing his hand against his heart. They could still hear Marlene’s bright giggling as Barret strapped her into her carseat and closed the door. He backed out, waving goodbye through the passenger side window, then drove off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zack shut the door, and the three of them walked to the kitchen, where Aerith was drying off a plate and putting it in the cabinet above the sink. “I just finished up with the dishes, babe, so we can mosey whenever you’re ready.” She wiped her hands off on the rag, then folded it and hung it over the faucet. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mosey where?” Cloud asked, confused.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zack slapped his forehead, sliding his hand down his face. “I forgot to tell you…” He winced. “I’m staying at Aerith’s tonight.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“This is news to me.” Tifa peered at her brother suspiciously.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Aerith growled at him. “Seriously, Zack?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He put his hands up defensively. “Sorry, I was a little distracted with the excitement of seeing my best friend again!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Guys, it’s fine,” Cloud interjected, “you can just drop me off at the inn on your way.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re not staying at the inn,” Tifa stated plainly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Really, Tifa, it’s not a problem, I can<em>—</em>” Suddenly his shirt was bunched in Tifa’s hand, and she was pulling him closer, their faces only a few inches apart. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She leveled him with a glare. “Five years, Cloud. You’ve been gone for five years.” He swallowed hard, trying and failing not to stare at her lips. “You can give me one night.” She let go of him and smoothed her hand over his chest, holding his gaze, equal parts stubborn and confident. “I’m gonna pour myself a drink. Text me when you make it home so I know that you’re safe.” She placed a kiss on Aerith’s cheek and squeezed Zack’s arm, then left the room, her hips swaying. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Aerith let out a low whistle. “I’d wish you luck, but I don’t think you need it.” She clapped a hand on his shoulder, the same knowing smirk on her face as when he’d asked about Tifa’s earrings in the backyard. “I’ll go start the car, babe. See you tomorrow, Cloud.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cloud just stood there, astounded, as Aerith pulled the keys from Zack’s pocket and took her leave. He blinked hard, convinced that the last few minutes hadn’t actually happened.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So, what do you think of Aerith?” Zack asked, disrupting Cloud’s delusions.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Meeting Zack’s eyes, he smiled sincerely. “I love her. She’s perfect for you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You mean it?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Would I lie to you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Good point.” Zack looked around conspiratorially, then stepped closer to Cloud. “I think I’m gonna ask her to marry me,” he whispered. He was every inch the little boy that Cloud grew up with, loyal and lively and loving, but for the first time since Cloud had known him, he seemed unsure of himself. He needed Cloud to bolster him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I think that’s great,” Cloud responded honestly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You don’t think it’s too soon?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“There’s no right amount of time for you to be with someone before you realize you want it to last forever, Zack. When you know, you know.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s easy for you to say, dude. You’ve known since you were ten years old.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cloud froze. Oh god. Oh god, oh fuck. The jig was up. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Breathe, Cloud. I’m not upset with you.” Zack shrugged, “Why would I be? You are the only person I’ve ever known who comes anywhere close to being worthy of Tifa.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. Zack’s fist was supposed to be flying at his face. There was supposed to be a lot more yelling. “Wait… what?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Cloud, did you ever consider that I was just as concerned for your happiness as I was for Tifa’s?” The fear that had held Cloud for so long, twisting his heart, bending it to the point of almost breaking, went up in smoke. “Look, dude, you’ve been through a lot. You <em>both </em>have. You need her, and she needs you. I can’t stand by while you circle around each other anymore. I <em>want </em>this for you. I want it for her, too. If that’s what you’ve been waiting to hear, if my disapproval is what’s been holding you back all these years… then nothing is holding you back at all.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It wasn’t that simple. Cloud knew as much. But this was important. This freed him from a shackle that had worn at his skin for as long as he could remember. “Thank you, Zack.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re welcome, buddy.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cloud shook his head at his best friend, half affection, half exasperation. Then he placed his hands on the man’s shoulders and shoved him toward the door. “You better not keep your future bride waiting.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zack grinned at him, a goofy, cheesy grin that only he could get away with, and walked out the door. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Which left Cloud alone. With Tifa.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His palms were already sweating.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Somehow, he mustered the courage to move in the direction she’d gone, one step after another, until he came to a door that led into a basement. Slowly, he made his way down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, he found Tifa standing at the counter of a small bar, nursing a beer and writing in a notebook of some kind.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey,” he said lamely. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She turned at the sound of his voice and, immediately, their eyes locked, the tether between them going taut. He searched for something that said she didn’t want this, didn’t want <em>him</em>, but all he found was devotion. That’s what he always saw when she looked at him. Until today, he’d let himself believe that it was just a reflection of his own, a trick of the light. But the way her breathing picked up, her grip tightening on the pen in her hand, told him he was wrong, had been wrong all this time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As he stepped closer, she wrenched her gaze away from his, bringing her beer to her lips and draining it completely. She tossed the empty bottle in the trash and walked behind the bar, bending down and coming back up with not only a new bottle for herself but a second one for Cloud. She slid it to him wordlessly as she resumed her place at the counter. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He twisted the cap off and took a large swig, its cool temperature clashing with the heat simmering inside his veins. After a few more sips, he noticed that the notebook she’d been writing in was a day planner, and it was chock full, her charming scrawl covering every inch of the page. “Not to be nosy,” he said, “but I’m not sure there’s actually enough time in each day for all that stuff you’re writing down.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She rolled her eyes, her lips pursed as she fought back a smile. “You’d be surprised.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, by all means,” he challenged, “surprise me. Tell me what a week in the life of Tifa Lockhart looks like.” <em>Tell me where I fit</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“All right, but you asked for it.” She closed the distance between them, her bicep brushing against his, static sparking and raising goosebumps on his skin. Using her pen like a pointer, she began, “On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I have classes at Midgar from 9 to 3. On Tuesday and Thursday, I watch Marlene until Barret’s off work at 5. On Monday and Wednesday night, I volunteer at AVALANCHE, which is Barret’s non-profit. On Tuesday and Thursday night, I teach a beginner’s Tae Kwon Do class at Zangan’s from 5 to 8. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, I bartend at Corneo’s. And before I get ready for work on the weekends, I spend the day at the gym doing Extreme CrossFit since I don’t have time to work out during the rest of the week. The few hours here and there that I have free are spent studying with Aerith.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cloud took a moment to absorb all that she’d said. “That’s… a lot.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I like to keep myself busy,” she explained.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why?” he asked, taking another drink. He was genuinely interested.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She knit her brow, considering. He couldn’t tell if she was unsure of the answer or just unsure of whether or not she wanted to share it with him. “The busier I am,” she said quietly, “the less time I have alone with my thoughts.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He knew her well enough to recognize when she didn’t want to talk about something anymore, saw it in the set of her shoulders, in the nervous way she chewed on her bottom lip, so he changed the subject. “I guess that means I won’t be seeing too much of you, will I?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Don’t be silly,” she replied. “As soon as I found out you were coming home, I got a whole week off. Leslie took my shifts at Corneo’s, Zangan told me he’d cover my lessons as long as I promised to bring you by the dojang, and Barret got his neighbor to watch Marlene for me. I even did all the coursework for my classes ahead of time. Everyone was super understanding about it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His heart clenched with excitement, but he reined it in. “A whole week, huh? You’re gonna be so bored.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ah, but that’s where you come in,” she countered. “It’s your job to keep me entertained.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And how am I meant to do that?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She finally smiled at him, a misbehaving glint in her eye. “Use your imagination. I’m sure you’ll think of something.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They had unconsciously leaned closer to one another throughout this exchange. Tifa stared up at Cloud from under long, dark lashes, the red of her irises seeming to swirl, hypnotizing him. The scent of her shampoo wafted around them, jasmine and coconut. She smelled good enough to eat, looked even better. How was it he got to be alone with her, got to see the contours of her perfect face in this dimmed, romantic lighting? He could practically hear the glass of his beer bottle screaming from the pressure of his grip. Any harder and he probably would’ve broken it. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You almost done?” she asked, covering his hand with her own, coaxing him to relax his hold. He nodded, and she took the bottle from him as she finished drinking the rest of her own. Once she’d thrown them in the bin, she grabbed a fifth of Maker’s Mark and two glasses from the bar before gesturing toward the stairs. “Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You know, I would’ve settled for the couch,” he said, not thinking, instantly regretting his words.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her face fell. She took a deep, measured breath. “I’d never make you do that, Cloud.” She wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He kicked himself internally. He should’ve known better, should’ve been more considerate, should’ve thought before he spoke. He had plenty of his own trauma from that night five years ago, plenty of triggers for that trauma. He needed to be more careful, give her the chance to open up and teach him her boundaries. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They walked up the stairs to the main floor, then to the second floor, an uneasy silence lingering in the air between them. Tifa stopped in front of a door and kicked it open with her foot. Cloud followed her inside and was met with generic bedsheets, generic furniture, and generic wall art. The guest room, he realized. “Your suite, Mr. Strife,” she said, an attempt at levity to mask her weariness. It was absurd for her to think she could hide from him, but he wouldn’t push her on the matter. “Now, bring your luggage up here and change into your pajamas. When you’re ready, come meet me in my room. It’s the one at the end of the hall.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cloud eyed the booze in her hand. “Bourbon?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Our favorite,” she answered, “only now it’s <em>legal</em>, and we’re not sneaking it out of my dad’s liquor cabinet.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He smiled at her, the memories she was referencing flooding to the forefront of his mind. “Sounds perfect,” he said. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She blushed and looked at the floor. “Don’t take too long.” He allowed himself the small luxury of openly watching as she walked away.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>About ten minutes later, Cloud was outside of Tifa’s bedroom in his standard sleep clothes: gray sweatpants and a soft black t-shirt. As always, the silver chain remained around his neck. He rapped his knuckles against her door lightly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Come in!” her voice called, somewhat obscured by the sound of running water, “I’m brushing my teeth, but then I’ll be right out. Make yourself at home!” He went inside and was immediately struck by his surroundings, a punch to the gut, doubling him over and throwing him off balance. Marlene hadn’t been lying. The wall across from where he stood was adorned, top to bottom, by drawings he’d gifted to Tifa over the years. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He never realized just how many there were, how much he’d actually put onto paper with her in mind. A Japanese cherry blossom tree, a study of her hair, dolphins jumping out of water, her hands painted with welts and bruises after a particularly brutal sparring session. He’d documented everything, and she’d saved it. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I only wish you’d drawn more self-portraits,” her voice scattered his thoughts. He turned to find her leaning against the doorway of her bathroom, and his heart violently crashed in his chest. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She was wearing an old, distressed band tee. <em>His </em>band tee. It was from one of the last concerts they’d gone to together. He’d wondered where it disappeared to. Did she know it was his? Did she usually wear it to sleep in? Since it had been his, it was slightly big on her, but he wasn’t much taller than she was, so the hem barely hit the top of her thigh. And if that wasn’t bad enough, she was also wearing these long black stockings that stopped a few inches above her knees, so there was only a small strip of her thigh visible to him, teasing him mercilessly. She’d let her hair out of the ribbon, and it fell freely over her shoulders and back, accentuating her mesmerizing curves. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>While he recovered from his brush with cardiac arrest, she crossed to her nightstand and retrieved the not-so-contraband. She flopped onto the bed dramatically, her arms fanned out, then sat up, patting the spot next to her invitingly. In a haze, he ambled to the bed and joined her. Pouring him a few fingers of bourbon, she turned to face him, crossing her legs in front of herself. “I hope you can still keep up with me, Strife.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Accepting her challenge, he took the proffered glass and tipped it back, the bourbon’s spicy flavor hitting his tongue, nostalgic and invigorating. It tasted like late nights filled with whispered secrets and shared laughter, everything that had gotten him through the past five years, all that had kept him sane. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tifa giggled as Cloud polished off his dram, “Okay, big guy, I get it.” She sipped at hers conservatively, scrutinizing him. As he poured himself a bit more bourbon, she cleared her throat. “So, what about you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He set the bottle back down and gave her a questioning look. “What <em>about</em> me?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, you know what my life has been like for the last five years now. What about you?” Tifa ended up being the person who communicated with Cloud the least while he was gone. If they hadn’t gone through what they had together, it probably would’ve hurt him, but being that they did, he understood why she might’ve wanted space. When they did communicate, they didn’t really talk about what was going on in their lives day-to-day but rather how much they missed one another and couldn’t wait to see each other again. Their letters weren’t a way of keeping up so much as a reassurance, a way of saying <em>Don’t worry, you’re still on my mind</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He ran his thumb over the rim of his glass, admiring its cut crystal. “I was stationed in Wutai’s capital. There were a lot of us there. Volunteers, that is. But we were all spread out into different areas of work. Our purpose as volunteers is to pass knowledge and skills onto our host country’s citizens in hopes of helping them advance as a civilization. Some specialized in agriculture, others in economics, environment, education, or healthcare. I was a part of the youth-in-development sector, though. I taught self-defense classes for young women and girls.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s… amazing, Cloud.” He looked at her, and she was smiling at him, shy and sincere. His face grew hot at her praise.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thank you. It meant a lot to me to empower them, you know? To help them access a strength they might not have otherwise known they had. Wutai is still a warzone in some places, still a dangerous place for them to be growing up in. It’s not fair, and they deserve so much better, so much more, but I hope I made a difference, made them feel a little more safe in their own skin.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She reached out and brushed her fingertips over his forearm, settling her hand there. “I’m sure you did.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He chuckled lightly, pretending he wasn’t utterly consumed by the feel of her touch. “There was this girl, who took my classes the whole time I was there. She had just turned 18 when I left, so she was about 13 when I first started teaching. Her name was Yuffie, total spitfire, and she actually stole my wallet the day I met her. I think she did it just to see if she could get away with it because she brought it back the next day and told me to ‘stay sharp.’”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At this, Tifa snorted, painfully adorable. Cloud envied every single person who’d heard her laugh, really laugh, in the five years while he was gone. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Anyway, I couldn’t help thinking how much you would’ve liked her, so I told her all about you. About a week ago, when I let my students know I wouldn’t be extending again, she came up to me and asked if she could visit me someday, if she could finally meet my ‘better half’ as she liked to call you. I told her that sounded great but asked how she’d travel halfway across the world, and get this… she tells me her dad, Godo Kisaragi, leader of the nation of Wutai, will pay for it!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re <em>kidding</em>.” Her mouth was hanging open, and he couldn’t help but notice how full and soft her bottom lip looked. He shook his head, collecting himself. The booze was starting to take its toll.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I am dead serious! All that time, I’d been treating the heiress to Wutai herself like my kid sister,” he whined. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She grinned at him with an unwavering fondness, the dimples of her cheeks making their first appearance since he’d arrived. He’d missed them so much, so much that seeing them again made him want to cry. But then her smile faltered, and her eyes dropped down to her drink. She worried her soft, full bottom lip between her teeth. “You were obviously pretty close to Yuffie. Were you close to anyone else? Did you… meet someone?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It took Cloud a moment to grasp her question, but when he did, a knot inside of him began to untie itself. She was asking if he’d seen anyone romantically while he was away, and the implication of the question, that she was invested in the answer, wasn’t lost on him. He scrambled to answer, afraid of leaving any room for doubt. “Oh! Uh, no… not at all, which is probably pathetic. I mean there were, um, opportunities, but I don’t know, I just—” he sighed, “wasn’t interested.” Then he shrugged, avoiding eye contact, somewhat embarrassed but more worried he might’ve said the wrong thing, given the wrong answer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She lifted her eyebrows in surprise. “Wow.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Not the answer you were expecting?” he asked, hesitant.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She tilted her head thoughtfully, humming, then said, “Yes <em>and </em>no. See, I know you, which means I know how sentimental and romantic you are. I know you wouldn’t be with just anyone, know that casual dating wouldn’t really work for you, but… knowing you also means I know how attractive and magnetic you are, which added some odds in favor of you having been with, at least, one person.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cloud scoffed, “You did <em>not </em>just call me attractive and magnetic. I think our time apart has warped your mind.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tifa threw back the last of her bourbon and set her glass on the nightstand. “That’s my Cloud,” she said, smirking, “the wallflower that sees everything but somehow still misses so much.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He glared at her playfully. “What about you then, huh? Did you meet anyone special?” It was meant to be payback for her putting him on the spot, but he quickly realized he was terrified of how she might respond. He wished he could suck the words back into his mouth and pretend he hadn’t asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She smiled and held his gaze. “No one special enough.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The relief that washed over him in that moment was indescribable, as intoxicating as the alcohol he’d consumed, but it also seemed far too good to be true. “<em>How</em>? How can that be? I’d bet 99% of the people who meet you fall completely in love with you. You’re telling me no one, not a single person, successfully made a move?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Not a single person,” she affirmed. “There have been a few that made genuine efforts. Al, one of the guys who works at AVALANCHE, bought me flowers, chocolates, the whole shabang, but I knew how he was with women, knew I was just another mark on his hit list, so I told him to shove his flowers and chocolates where the sun doesn’t shine. Johnny, a guy from one of my finance classes, has asked me out more times than I can count. He’s sweet, and not bad looking by any means, but he’s just not…” She huffed a laugh and cracked her knuckles, which meant that she was frustrated.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Not what?” he prodded.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But she railroaded his query entirely, taking him off guard by changing the subject to a topic he wasn’t at all prepared for. “Do you ever think about prom?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He knew he was blushing, knew she could tell how flustered he was, but she didn’t comment on it. She simply sat there, patiently waiting for him to gather his thoughts. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was obvious which part of their prom night she was referring to. The night had been exceptionally fun, them and all their friends dancing to the DJ’s terrible selections like no one was watching, drinking just enough of the spiked punch to have an extra good time without hurling or waking up with a nasty hangover, trying to squeeze into the rented photobooth all at once, laughing at the resulting photos until their sides hurt. But it was the end of the night, after the fun, that Cloud remembered most vividly, most dearly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The others had started branching out, saying hello to students outside of their friend group, taking selfies and complimenting each other’s outfits, which Cloud didn’t mind but also had no desire to participate in. So, he decided to get some air, walking out to the football field and laying down on the grass, staring up at the night sky, mapping out the constellations. Naturally, she’d come to find him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Mind if I join you?” Her voice, honeyed and rich and more familiar to him than anyone else’s, pulled his gaze from one heaven to another. She was standing over him, the midnight purple of her gown blending with the evening’s darkness and contrasting with the inset rhinestones, imitating diamonds, drawing constellations all their own, more worthy of mapping than those a million miles away.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Of course,” he said. She lay down next to him, her hair fanned out around her head and shoulders. It was styled differently than usual, her long, straight tresses replaced with thick, glamorous curls. Her ordinarily clean face was made up, mascara emphasizing her already dark lashes, a soft pink eyeshadow setting off the pink of the blush on her cheeks, and a deep red lipstick accentuating her lips, the same shade of the red in her eyes.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Tifa was always a vision, excruciating to behold, but that evening she was a dream made real, a living, breathing miracle. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>He hadn’t been brave enough to tell her this, not when they were surrounded by their friends, but being alone with her, seeing her bathed in starlight, left him with no choice. He turned to look at her, drank in the profile of her face and, achingly quiet, said, “You’re so beautiful, Tifa. I could live a thousand years, travel all the earth, and never see anything nearly as beautiful.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Her eyes were locked on Vega, the brightest star of its cluster. But the airglow of the atmosphere couldn’t compare to the emotion shining in her eyes. Suddenly, her hand was sliding down his arm, her fingers lacing with his, and his heart was pounding violently, hammer on nail. “You’re my favorite person in the whole world, Cloud.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Her words filled him with a blazing warmth, the nebula at his core collapsing, transforming into a newly born star, his body no longer human but celestial. “And you’re mine,” he vowed.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>She sniffled next to him. “You graduate in a few weeks.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I do.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Her voice shook as she continued, “I’m scared it means I’m going to lose you.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You could never lose me.” He hadn’t finalized any college plans yet, but his options were fairly open. There was some percentage of a chance that he could end up at one of the more distant schools that had accepted him, hundreds or thousands of miles from everything he knew, unlikely as it may have been. “No matter how far I go, I’ll always come back to you. I’ll always end up wherever you are.” He squeezed her hand. “You’re my home, Tifa.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Cloud, I—”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Cloud? Tifa?” Zack called, interrupting them.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cloud and Tifa quickly moved away from each other and stood up just as Zack came into view, walking out from behind the bleachers. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“There you guys are!” They met him halfway as he moved toward the field. “It’s getting pretty late. Everyone else is ready to head home if that’s okay with you two.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>The two of them shared a remorseful look. “Sure, let’s get going,” Tifa replied.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cloud could feel her hand in his until he finally fell asleep that evening, just as the sun had begun to rise.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>“I think about it all the time,” he said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She nodded. “Me too.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why do you ask?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Cloud…” she started, her voice all of a sudden weary and infinitely sad. “We need to talk about what happened after prom night, after graduation. We need to talk about why you left.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His heart stopped.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He never got the chance to ask Tifa what she’d wanted to say to him on the football field at prom. They’d both been too busy with studying for finals and preparing for his graduation. But they’d both been so sure that they could table it, put a pin in it and come back to it shortly thereafter. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Then, about a week after graduation, his life completely changed, and he tabled everything.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tifa had come over to his house for a movie night with him and his mom. This was a regular occurrence for them, and whenever Tifa was too tired to make it back to her own house after they were through for the evening, Claudia would always let her stay the night. Cloud would take the couch in the downstairs front living room, and Tifa would take his bed upstairs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That particular evening, though, something went very wrong.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His mother had left her hair dryer plugged into the outlet of the second floor bathroom. Their house was older, and so was everything in it, including the electrical outlets. The wiring was faulty, and a spark ended up catching, starting a fire that quickly spread throughout the entire upper level of the house. Tifa and Claudia both had their bedroom doors closed. The walls were thick enough, and they both happened to sleep heavily enough that they didn’t hear the roar of the flames right away. But Cloud was a light sleeper, and the sound of the fire raging through the upstairs hallway ran straight down the stairs and into the living room, waking him up to the sight and smell of smoke.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Tifa!” Cloud jumped to his feet and ran for the stairs, climbing them two at a time. His bedroom was closest. The fire had spread all along the wall opposite his bedroom door and was inching closer by the second. He opened the door and found Tifa unconscious. Not sleeping but unconscious. She had already inhaled quite a bit of smoke from it leaking in under the door. Cloud didn’t try to wake her. He just scooped her into his arms, ran back out of the room and down the stairs. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p><em>He was coughing, hacking, </em>wheezing<em> as he managed to open the front door and lay Tifa down on their front lawn. One of his neighbors must have noticed the fire and called emergency services because he could hear sirens in the distance, headed their way. But he immediately turned around and ran into the house again. The air that had rushed inside when he opened the front door had caused a back draft, and the fire was burning even more fiercely. The front living room was filled with smoke, blinding him. He struggled to breathe as he moved in the direction he believed led to the stairs. He grew lightheaded, his vision blurring, but he made it to the stairs. His strength was waning, though, and his legs gave out after a few steps, so he started to crawl, to climb, step by step. </em></p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>But he failed. He lost consciousness and woke up in a hospital bed, hours later, his childhood home destroyed and his mother gone.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>When he initially woke, he’d panicked because Tifa wasn’t with him. He was terrified he’d lost her, but after the doctors had given him the news about his house and his mom, they’d confirmed that Tifa was recovering a few rooms down from him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>He was practically catatonic throughout his stay at the hospital, only speaking in order to answer the doctors’ or nurses’ questions, eating as little as possible, and sleeping as much as he could. The doctors and nurses suggested therapy, gave him references for the psychologists best equipped to help him work through his trauma, but he refused. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Once he was cleared for release, he immediately went to the library and applied for the Peace Corps, knowing it would take him thousands of miles away, knowing it would give him the space he needed to pick up the pieces of who he was and remember what they were supposed to be.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p><em>And it had hurt him to leave behind all that he hadn’t lost in order to escape the reminders of all that he </em>had<em>. But it was what he needed.</em></p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>Tifa’s hands were on his face, her thumbs coming up to brush underneath his eyes, wiping away tears he hadn’t yet realized were falling. She took the glass from Cloud’s hands and set it next to hers on the nightstand, then climbed onto his lap, straddling his hips. She held him in her arms and let him cry, her hands coming up to slide into his hair, her fingernails grazing the skin at the base of his skull, soothing him. When his breathing steadied, she whispered, “I’m so sorry, Cloud. I know…” her voice broke, distorted by a profound grief, “I know you wish that you had saved your mother instead of me. And I—”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em>What</em>?” He felt ill. Not only had she extended an apology she didn’t owe but she thought, had thought all these years, that he regretted saving her life, that he would’ve chosen differently given the opportunity when nothing could be farther from the truth. He grasped her jaw, effectively cutting off her speech and forcing her to meet his eyes. “Listen to me, Tifa. When I woke up to that fire, there was no conflict, no question in my mind as to what I should do. Getting to you, making sure you were safe, was all that mattered. Saving you wasn’t a decision, Teef, it was instinct.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her chin wobbled as tears spilled down her cheeks, and it tore him apart inside. He leaned his forehead against hers.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I miss my mom. I miss her so much that, five years later, it’s still hard to wake up each morning, still hard to go about my life, sometimes still hard to breathe. Losing her is the worst thing that ever happened to me, but I <em>can</em> live with it, the pain is manageable in spite of how badly I miss her. You, though? I don’t know how to live in a world that you’re not a part of. I don’t want to. I could relive that night over and over, on loop for all eternity, and never consider any option but saving you. And my mother would be furious with me if she knew that I let you go on this long believing otherwise.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She tucked her face into the side of his neck. “Then why <em>did</em> you leave me?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“After I was let out of the hospital, my mind was an ugly, dark place. I wasn’t myself anymore, and the person I’d become scared me. I was afraid of what I might say or do, afraid of hurting you or Zack or anyone else I cared about. Being here, in Nibelheim, there were just too many reminders of her. And back then, I thought it was my fault that she died.” Some days, he still did. But those days were much fewer and much farther between than they used to be.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“There was nothing you could’ve done, Cloud.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“…I know. I’m sorry I didn’t have the strength to tell you any of this before.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her lips ghosted up his neck to place a soft kiss on his jawline. “It’s okay,” she said, sniffling. “Thank you for opening up to me now.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That reminded him. There was something else they still needed to discuss. “Hey, Teef, what were you going to tell me at prom? When we were on the football field? You started to say something, but then Zack showed up.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She swallowed hard and brought her hands down from his hair to his shoulders, straightening to face him, so close that their noses were nearly touching. “I was going to tell you that I was in love with you. I was going to tell you to kiss me.” Her tongue darted out to lick her lips subconsciously. Blushing fiercely, she added, “I was going to tell you that I wanted to give myself to you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Tifa had moved to straddle Cloud earlier, his hands had landed on her thighs reflexively. Now he was hyper aware of the contact, hyper aware of every single spot where their bodies were touching. His heart sang with a deep, familiar yearning. “Really? You would’ve given yourself to me right there on the football field?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She nodded, slow and deliberate. “I probably would’ve done a lot of unspeakable things if we hadn’t been interrupted. You looked <em>amazing</em> in your tux.” Her hands slid down to his chest, and he knew she could feel how hard his heart was thudding against its bone cage.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Taking her lead, he slid his hands higher, up her thighs and beyond, settling on her hips. “And what about now? Is the tee shirt and sweatpants combo doin’ it for ya?” Her head fell back as she laughed, and all he could think was how badly he wanted to put his mouth on her neck. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Wow, I finally confess that I’m in love with you, and you’re making jokes!” Her lips twisted into an exaggerated pout, and his hand automatically came up to hold her chin, his thumb sweeping over her bottom lip, still so alluring, just like the rest of her. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re right,” he said, dropping his hand back to her hip. “I should answer your confession with one of my own.” Her eyebrows jumped to her hairline, and he smirked. “It’s only fair.” He looked down at his chest pointedly, then back up. “The chain around my neck… there’s something hanging on it. It’s yours.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her brow quirked with curiosity. She moved her hands to close around either side of the chain underneath his collar. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>As she lifted the chain, his blood rushed in his ears. He’d waited so long for this moment, and now that it was here, he was terrified.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When she finally revealed what had been hidden under his shirt and cradled it in her palm, she gasped, her eyes as wide as saucers. “Cloud,” she whispered, breathless. In her hand was a three-stone engagement ring, a simple silver band bearing a 2 carat ruby amid two smaller, shimmering diamonds. Her gaze rose to hold his, and it was brimming with fresh, unshed tears. “Is this—”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ask me when I bought it,” he prompted.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She didn’t blink. “When?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He wrapped his hand around the chain and yanked, unclasping it. He plucked the ring from her palm and pulled it off the chain, then took her left hand in his and slipped the ring onto her ring finger, discarding the chain altogether. He admired his work and smiled. “I bought it the day after prom.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She was staring at his hand holding hers, unable to look away. “You’ve carried it all this time? I… I don’t know what to say.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Tifa, look at me,” he pleaded.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her eyes immediately locked with his, crimson clashing with cobalt.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He flattened his palm against hers before twining their hands together. “Every breath in my lungs, every beat of my heart, every dream I’ve ever had… they all belong to you. Only you. It’s only ever been you. I’ll be whatever you want, do whatever you need, just be with me. Let me be with you. Always.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She smiled wide, the tears from when she’d first seen the ring finally falling, so different from the tears that had spilled after she brought up the fire. “Was that a proposal?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He winced. “Yeah, what’d you think?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It was pretty good,” she breathed, and he couldn’t help but laugh, overcome with joy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And then her lips were suddenly on his, soft and tentative but also insistent and needy. She stood up on her knees and leaned over him, impatient to deepen the kiss. He gladly opened up for her, groaning when he tasted her tongue, slipping and sliding against his own. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When they finally broke apart, Tifa panting and gasping for air, Cloud seized the opportunity, taking her by the hips and gently tossing her to fall back on the pillows at the head of the bed. She sat up on her elbows, her feet planted flat on the bed. She opened her legs slightly, revealing lacy red panties, the kind a person would only wear if they hoped someone would see them. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Inching toward her, a predator on the prowl for its prey, he absorbed the inviting, mouthwatering image before him. He came to a stop, his hips settling in between hers, his hands parked at either side of her waist, his face hovering over hers.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You know, I always knew that you cared about me, probably even loved me. But I was never sure if you wanted me… this way,” she said, doe-eyed and timid.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh, I don’t just want you this way. I want you <em>lots</em> of ways.” He punctuated his statement by nudging her nose with his own. Then he leaned in and placed a tender kiss on her neck, drawing a sigh from her. “In case it wasn’t clear, you are the only person I’ve ever wanted this way. If somebody read my mind, they’d find you at every corner. Tifa this, Tifa that. Tifa, Tifa, <em>Tifa</em>.” Her cheeks flushed bright red, her eyes betraying a sweet, delicate shyness. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She cleared her throat. “So, full disclosure. Have you ever…?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He huffed a laugh. “No, I haven’t. That was actually my first kiss.” He should probably have been more embarrassed by that fact, but he was just too happy, happy that her kiss was the first he’d ever known. The first, the last, the only. She was worth the wait.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She brought her fingertips up and ran them over his bottom lip. “Mine too,” she murmured, and his brain short circuited. He clutched her wrist, moving her arm out of his line of sight, then trailed his eyes up and down her body wantonly. The scarlet that had painted her cheeks seconds before darkened under his scrutiny. “What?” she asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I can’t believe you’ve never kissed anyone before.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, people have tried—”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em>That </em>I believe,” he quipped.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But I never let them,” she finished, lightly slapping his chest for getting smart with her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why?” he asked, knowing what the answer would likely be but wanting to hear her say it all the same.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She rolled her eyes fondly. “Because they weren’t you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He hummed, pleased, and bent back down to capture her lips with his, pressing her down into the mattress, the fabric of their clothing now all that was separating them. The kiss was slower this time, more exploring, a simmer rather than a boil. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>As the seconds passed, though, the heat began to build, fire catching under their skin, surviving off the very oxygen in their lungs. His hand skimmed up her leg and under her tee shirt. As his fingertips skittered over her ribcage toward her breast, her hips canted up to grind against his, taking on a mind of their own. The contact had them both moaning into each other’s mouth. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But then Tifa was pushing on Cloud’s chest, so he pulled away, giving her space. “Are you okay? What do you need?” he asked, genuinely concerned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Catching her breath, she said, “Nothing. I’m fine, <em>more</em> than fine, it’s just… in the interest of full disclosure, I think there’s something I should tell you before we go any further. But it’s sort of embarrassing.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Tifa, you know I would never make fun of you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She closed her eyes and nodded. “Okay, um, when I say that I’ve never been with anyone, I don’t just mean that I’ve never been with anyone <em>else </em>physically. I…” She covered her face with her hands. “I’ve never even… I’ve never done anything like that to myself either. I’ve never had an orgasm.” The last sentence came out in a rush.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He smiled at her, pulling her hands away from her face, his eyes soft and understanding. “That’s not something to be embarrassed about, Teef. But you deserve to feel good, and I’d be happy to make that happen for you. Will you let me?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ll let you do whatever you want to me.” Her eyelashes fluttered with false innocence and, <em>oh</em>, she was ruining him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That is extremely valuable information,” he said. “But first things first.” He sat back on his knees and grabbed the back of his tee shirt, pulling it off over his head. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her pupils blew wide as she drank him in. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Did you look like this the whole time you were gone? Please, for my sanity, say no. Pretend it’s a new development. Otherwise, I’ll have to mourn all the time I could’ve been ogling you and didn’t get to.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was smiling so hard that it made his face hurt, completely charmed by her. “You’re ridiculous.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She scoffed, “Uh, no, what’s ridiculous is this…” She gestured at his torso and arms vaguely. “<em>All </em>of this.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em>Please</em>,” he countered, “let’s not pretend I’m some prize, okay? You’re…” Was there a word strong enough for how beautiful she looked? All the ones that came to his mind felt inadequate. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She interjected, “Well, it’s not really a fair comparison. After all, I’ve still got my top on. You could end up totally disappointed by what’s going on beneath this tee shirt.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He gave her an incredulous look. “<em>Now </em>who’s kidding?” She bit back a grin. “Very clever, by the way. Wearing my old band tee. And these…” Pushing the hem of the shirt up her stomach, he dipped his fingertips into the waistband of her panties. The muscles of her abdomen tensed under his touch. “These are nice.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thank you,” she whispered. “They’re new.” Her gaze turned tempestuous. She was a storm with skin, and he was getting swept up in her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He abruptly removed his hand, and she whined in protest. But then he moved to sit next to her, arranging himself against the headboard before pulling her into his lap, her ass up against his groin and her head laying back against his shoulder. He slid his legs under her knees, bent his own knees, and pushed them apart, spreading her legs wide open on top of his. She gasped in surprise, and he asked, “Is this okay?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She just nodded enthusiastically, waiting in quiet desperation for him to finally touch her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He lifted his right hand in front of her face, emphasizing his middle three fingers. “Can you get these wet for me?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tifa didn’t even pause, taking Cloud’s hand in both of hers and sucking his fingers into her mouth. He instantly felt himself growing harder, his breath escaping in a sharp hiss at the feel of her mouth’s damp heat. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She freed his fingers with an audible <em>pop</em> sound. They were thoroughly coated in her saliva. “Good,” he rumbled, and a shiver ran up her spine. He got the sense that she enjoyed being praised, which was fortunate because he enjoyed praising her. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He lowered his hand and tapped the hem of her tee shirt. She took the hint and gathered it in her hands, drawing it up her torso and exposing her stomach, stopping just below her breasts, teasing him. As he slid his fingers toward the apex of her thighs, he noticed that his hand spanned her entire abdomen, and it woke something absolutely medieval inside of him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>His fingers slipped past her waistband, and he slammed his head back against the headboard at the sensation of touching her like this. “You’re so wet, Tifa.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She didn’t respond, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth and her breath leaving her in pants. He could hear tiny whimpers sounding in the back of her throat. She was so worked up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He kissed the spot where her shoulder met her neck. “Teef, there’s no one else here. You don’t have to be quiet.” She relaxed slightly, surrendering herself to his mercy. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He started rubbing her clit in slow, lazy circles. He tested out various speeds and pressures, sensing which of them she liked most from her reactions. Before either of them knew it, he had his opposite arm planted over her pelvis, holding her down as she mewled and writhed in his lap, her hips rolling into his hand. “<em>Cloud</em>,” she moaned, the most exquisite sound he’d ever heard. He could tell she was close, the tension in her voice and frenzy of her movements giving her away.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ve got you,” he said, his voice low and his lips brushing the shell of her ear.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And then she was coming, her breath releasing on a choked sob and her hand moving to clutch his wrist, providing her with the leverage she needed to ride out her orgasm against his palm. It was the single greatest thing he’d ever experienced. When she became too sensitive, she yanked his hand away but didn’t let it go. She held it tight, grounding herself as she fell back to Earth, her chest heaving and her skin flushed all over.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She drew in gulps of air, barely able to speak. “I thought… you said… you hadn’t done that before.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I haven’t,” he swore, chuckling. “But I don’t think it’s so much about knowing <em>what </em>I’m doing as knowing <em>who </em>I’m doing it to.” He kissed her temple. “And I know you like I know my own name.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you sure about that?” She stood up on the bed and turned around, standing over him, a smirk on her face. “Because I think there are a few parts of me left for you to discover.” Slipping her hands up her thighs, she caught her fingers in the waistband of her panties and slid them down, down, down until she was kicking them off her feet and away from the bed. Her hands were shaking as she brought them back to her thighs, gathering the hem of her shirt.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cloud’s head swam as he watched Tifa slowly, oh so slowly, lift her shirt up and over her head, throwing it aside to join her panties on the floor. She was left in nothing but her thigh high stockings, the rest of her bare before him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her hands flexed at her sides as if she were fighting the urge to cover herself, and she gnawed at her bottom lip. Anxiety was apparent on her face, but he didn’t notice it because he wasn’t looking at her face. He was too busy looking at every other inch of her, every perfect, heavenly, glorious inch. Her body was absolutely outrageous, and he was so, so, <em>so</em> unworthy. “Cloud,” she said, the tremble in her voice yanking him out of his daze. “Say something.” Oh, right. He could do that. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re beautiful…” he breathed, meeting her eyes, “and much too far away.” The laugh that escaped her was dripping with relief. Smiling coyly, she dropped to her knees, walking back to him on all fours. Her breasts swayed slightly as she moved, and he felt himself growing impossibly harder. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>As if summoned by this realization, she reached out and groped the bulge in his sweatpants, every nerve in his body lighting up like lights on a Christmas tree. He nearly died right then and there. “Can I see you now?” He just nodded, too nervous to speak, and lifted his hips as she grabbed at his waistband, tugging on his pant legs and unwrapping him, her actions somehow both methodical and impatient. Once his pants were discarded, she ran her hands up his legs, crowding him against the headboard, moving to straddle his hips again. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cloud watched in wonder and confusion as Tifa brought one hand to her pussy and played with it for a short time but suddenly understood when she took that same hand, now coated in the evidence of her orgasm, and wrapped it around his cock. Swallowing his answering cry with her kiss, she pumped her hand leisurely, taking her time with him, breaking him down and building him back up piece by undeserving piece. It was the sweetest torture. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He felt like he needed to be doing something with his hands, so he followed his instincts and placed them on her breasts, giving them a tentative squeeze. She responded by sighing into his mouth, so he took his experiment a step further and lightly pinched one of her nipples. Her squeal rang in his ears. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hypothesis confirmed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Use your mouth,” she encouraged.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She didn’t have to ask him twice. He cupped her breast, pushing it toward the attention of his mouth, laving her nipple with his tongue before suckling at it, just barely grazing it with his teeth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em>Yes</em>.” His ministrations had distracted her. She was no longer touching him, and she’d sunken closer to him, her soft, wet pussy pressing against his stomach, stunning him with all the intensity of a lightning strike. His cock throbbed with want, aching to make itself at home inside of her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He shut his eyes tight and leaned back against the headboard, breathing heavily, a weak attempt at control. “Tifa, I—”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Please,” she cut him off. “Please, don’t make me wait anymore. I want you inside me.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>A part of him, the part that held and gave voice to his most primal instincts, told him he should do it, that he should just flip her over, spread her wide, and split her open. That part of him wanted to ravage her, to leave a mark. But a much larger part of him, the loudest part of him, the part most central to who he was, was terrified of causing her pain. That part of him would always win out. Her well-being would always take precedence where he was concerned. “I’m scared that I’ll hurt you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She held his face in her hands and looked him deep in the eyes. “You could never hurt me.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He searched her gaze, saw the resolve, trust, desire, and love living there, and knew he couldn’t deny her, even if he wanted to. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her. “Okay,” he whispered against her lips.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She grinned, triumphant, and reached down, taking hold of his cock once more. She guided it against her core, letting it slide easily over her slick folds, her hips starting a slow grind. Her whole body shuddered at the sensation of her clit rubbing up and down his cock, now pressed flat between her pussy and his lower abdomen.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His hands shot to her waist, pinning her to him harder, increasing the pressure of her movements, driving her to pick up her speed. He could feel the heat of her, so close and yet so far. Her palms were placed on his chest, her hair falling over her shoulders like a dark, satin curtain, her eyes closed and her mouth hanging open in unrestrained pleasure. Between the way she looked, the delicious sounds she was making, and the feel of her, he was already dangerously close to losing it. “<em>Fuck</em>,” he hissed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m sorry, I know you’re supposed to be inside me right now, I just— <em>Ah</em> —didn’t realize how good this was going to feel when I decided to try it, and now I can’t stop. I think…” An urgent moan spilled from her lips. ”I think I’m about to come again.” Her voice rose at the end. She was on the verge of shattering.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Look at me, Tifa.” She opened her eyes, her beautiful, bewitching eyes, and stared at him. Instantly, she was in pieces, her hips stuttering as she cried through her second climax. Cloud’s whole body was screaming at him as he staved off his own release, not ready for this to be over yet. As her movements slowed to a stop and her breathing returned to normal, he drew her to him and kissed her. She opened to him without hesitation, her tongue tangling with his, stopping to nip at his bottom lip with her teeth before separating from him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her hands smoothed over his chest and arms, exploring the planes of him, then slipped back down to his cock, lining him up with her entrance. He took in a sharp breath. “Is this okay?” she asked earnestly. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was going to tell her <em>yes, yes, a million times yes</em> until he suddenly realized something. “Tifa, wait, we…” He hated himself for what he was about to say. “We don’t have a condom.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She paused and looked down at where they were very nearly joined, then back to him, a look of consideration on her face that was quickly replaced with determination. Shrugging, she said, “I’m on the pill. I started taking it years ago to help with my periods. We should be all right.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“The pill isn’t 100% effective, you know.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re right,” she said, an amused tint to her voice, “it’s only 99.7% effective. Can I be honest with you, though? Without you freaking out?” He nodded, wary but intrigued. Her hand came up to the side of his face, and she smiled at him. “That .3% doesn’t really scare me. I’m willing to take the chance with you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For a brief moment, he stopped breathing altogether. His heart swelled, ready to burst from his chest. Tifa admitting that she was willing to have his baby was, without a doubt, the sexiest thing he would ever live to hear for his entire life. He forced his mind to catalogue as much detail as possible so that he would always remember it. The honey in her voice, the light in her eyes, the smile on her face, her touch on his skin, her kiss swollen lips, her mussed hair, all of it. He was still poised at her entrance, so he grasped her hips and pushed her down, only slightly, making his intention clear, the abrupt action causing her to gasp. “I’m gonna make love to you now,” he warned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She just nodded and wrapped her arms around his chest. He took a moment to calm himself, then thrust up into her, groaning as he tried to process the feeling of being inside her, of truly being one with her. Her nails dug crescents into his shoulder blades, and her scream, muffled where she bit into his skin, vibrated through him. He didn’t think anything was meant to feel this good. Surely, he was getting away with something that the universe had never intended to allow. “You’re so <em>warm</em>.” And tight. And wet. And perfect.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tifa unlatched her teeth from the juncture of his shoulder and neck. Panting, she said, “Don’t… don’t move yet.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Panic lanced through Cloud’s heart. “Am I hurting you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, no! There’s just… a lot of you to take in. It’s not a bad feeling so much as a stretch, you know?” Gradually, bit by bit, she was sliding herself down onto him. After some time, her body seemed to relax, to mold itself to him, and he was fully sheathed inside her. She sighed, “Mmmmm, perfect fit.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Couldn’t agree more,” he quipped, and she laughed, which made her pussy clench tightly on his cock, mind-bending pleasure shooting up his spine.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I feel so full, like there’s literally no space left inside me that you aren’t occupying,” she explained. Her statement confounded him, and it must have shown because she went on, “Look, I mean, I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure you’re, uh… bigger than most.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I am dying for you to elaborate.” And then she laughed again, her pussy like a vice grip, and his cock was telling him to pound into her, and he really didn’t know how much longer he could ignore it. “Okay, Tifa, I need you to stop laughing.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her eyes lit up, and he immediately regretted his words. “And why is that?” she asked, completely misbehaving.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He tightened his grip on her hips and narrowed his eyes at her. “Because if you don’t, I’m gonna roll you over and fuck you into the mattress.” Surprised at himself and having absolutely no idea where that came from, a blush blazed across his face. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She gaped at him, amazed, then grinned and said, “Don’t threaten me with a good time, Strife.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Why did this feel so normal? Shouldn’t they be terrified and paralyzingly nervous their first time with each other? Is it supposed to be this fun? How did Cloud get so lucky? Wordlessly, he let go of her hips and started to collect her hair in his hands, twisting it up into a bun on top of her head. “Hold this,” he instructed, and she did. Then, in one fluid motion, he rolled Tifa onto her back, maintaining his place inside her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her hair fanned out on the pillows, her arms stretched above her where they’d held it out of the way. He sat up on his knees for a bit, staring down at her body, prone in front of him. He couldn’t believe she was real, that she wanted him, loved him even. “Hey, get down here,” she said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He smiled. “Sorry, I was just enjoying the view.” He covered her body with his, his hands sliding under the pillows at either side of her shoulders, his face hovering over hers. As always, he was drawn to her eyes. “I gotta tell you, though, I think I like this view even better.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She bit her lip bashfully. “Cloud?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You can move now.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He hummed with approval and started to pull out, nearly removing himself entirely before slamming his full length back inside her, making her keen at the top of her lungs. His thrusts were punishing, his pace unforgiving, and they were both unraveling at the seams. Her breasts bounced with each pulse, and he was almost ashamed of how much he enjoyed watching her writhe underneath him. She hitched her knees high up his sides, wrapping her legs around his waist, trying to get him closer, closer, <em>closer</em>. He slipped an arm under her hips, lifting them up as he drove down into her, and the angle must have caused him to hit a sweet spot inside of her because she positively <em>wailed</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Feels… so… good.” Her voice shook with the force of his fucking. “Don’t stop, <em>please</em>, don’t stop.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why? Are you gonna come for me?” His head reeled at the thought of her coming with his cock inside her. She nodded, near tears. “Use your words, Tifa.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em>Yes</em>, yes, I’m gonna come, I’m gonna come, I’m gonna come—” Her back arched up off the bed as she came with a silent cry, and he sucked a mark onto her throat, his hips continuing to piston as her pussy throttled him with its spasming. Seconds later, he was tumbling after her, his face buried in her neck the same way it had been when he first held her in the backyard, only hours earlier. She milked him mercilessly, prolonging his orgasm as he painted her insides with his spend. Instantly, he knew he could never come outside of her pussy ever again. Every orgasm he would ever have belonged to her from that moment on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He collapsed next to her on the bed, and she immediately leaned over to capture his lips with her own. The kiss was deep and graceless and filthy and tender all at once. She fell back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. He just stared at her. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her chest was heaving from the fatigue of what she’d just put her body through. But he watched as her fatigue steadily transformed into hysterics. She began to giggle, rich and charming, the sound filling the whole room. Normally, this would warm him, but he could tell something was off. And he was proven right when her bright giggling mutated into distorted sobs, tears running down the sides of her face as her hand quickly covered her eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cloud didn’t hesitate. He pulled Tifa into him, her head coming to lay on his chest, his arms wrapping around her. He ran his hand up and down her back, soothing her, and eventually, her tears waned. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice so small. He could feel pieces of his heart splintering away. “I don’t mean to cry. I know it’s a waste of time.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s not true, Teef. You know I’ll give you space to express whatever you’re feeling, whether that means you’re laughing, crying, screaming, or sparring. Just so long as you’re not hiding from me.” She tilted her head up to look at him, and he brushed her bangs away from her eyes. “I want all of you. Not just the easy parts. Because I love you. Completely and absolutely. And even in what you believe to be your worst moments, you’re still you. That’s all that will ever matter to me.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her fingertips drew patterns onto his ribs as she gazed at him. Biting back a grin, she said, “You’re going to be proposing to me for the rest of our lives, aren’t you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He chuckled and shrugged. “Probably.” He brought his hand to her cheek, and she leaned into it, sighing. “If you wanna talk, I’m listening.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She took his hand from her cheek and looked down at it, then began tracing the lines of his palm as she cleared her throat deliberately. “I was just… overwhelmed. I mean, a month ago, I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again. Now you’re here, lying in bed with me after we’ve just made love, which neither of us have ever done before, and I’m wearing an incredibly beautiful engagement ring that I found out you bought five years ago because you’ve known since then that you want to spend the rest of your life with me, which you admitted only after we finally talked about the fire, a deeply traumatic experience for both of us. All this within twelve hours of you coming home when I wasn’t even sure how you felt about me. It’s <em>a lot</em>, you know? I think… I think that making love to you spurred some sort of catharsis for me, and all my emotions decided to purge themselves at once. Does that make any sense?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It makes perfect sense.” He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “But does that mean you regret, um… Do you wish that we hadn’t…?” His question trailed off as he made a vague gesture with his hand. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, of course not!” she urged. Looking away, she bit her lip bashfully. “I always thought the first time was supposed to be horrible no matter what, but I can’t think of anything I’ve ever enjoyed more.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Is that so?” he asked, a smug smile on his face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It is,” she replied. “In fact, I can’t wait to do it again.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Then that makes two of us. But you need some rest.” She pouted at him, and he wanted to kiss it off of her. “You’ve had a long day, Teef, and you’re exhausted.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, I’m not,” she argued, even as she nuzzled her head into his chest, and her eyes began to flutter closed. After a moment, her breathing evened out, and he knew she was deep in sleep. It didn’t take long for him to join her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A few hours later, Cloud awoke to find that they’d rearranged themselves in their sleep, both of them laying on their sides, Tifa’s back to his front, and his arm draped over her waist. He was still floating in that place between consciousness and unconsciousness when he realized what had woken him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She was leisurely grinding her ass against his cock. He might’ve thought she was doing it in her sleep but for the fact that she suddenly grabbed his wrist and placed his hand on her breast.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em>Tifa</em>,” he rumbled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes, my love?” Oh, that did something to him. He’d give anything to hear her call him that again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re supposed to be sleeping,” he said, despite having begun to move his own hips in time with hers, in and out between the back of her thighs, still slick from their earlier activities.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Can’t,” she said, her voice still ragged from sleep and moaning throughout their first session. “Need you to wear me out again.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What do you say?” He moved faster, making short passes over her clit. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her hand reached out to clutch the bedsheets in front of her. “<em>Please</em>, Cloud.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s my girl.” His lips brushed over the back of her neck as he took his hand off her breast and wrapped it around the back of her knee, lifting her bent leg up into the air. Leaning up on his other forearm, he angled his cock toward her entrance. Then he pushed himself inside, achingly slow. They groaned in unison.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Unlike before, when he’d hammered into her relentlessly, he took his time. His thrusts were unhurried and languid. He wanted to savor this. She brought her hand up to the back of his head and pulled him down into a kiss that matched the way he was fucking her. They were relishing each other. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once they broke the kiss, coming up for air, he said, “Touch yourself.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She didn’t question it, just brought her hand up to her mouth, licked her fingers, then slid them down her torso to her clit, remembering what she’d liked most when he touched her and doing it to herself. She timed her movements to his, crying out each time he pressed that button deep inside her, choosing then to apply the greatest pressure to her clit. Soon enough, he could feel her walls start to tighten around him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re good at that,” he told her, and she whimpered at his praise. “Now look me in the eyes and come.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And she did, her mouth hanging open as she moaned through all of it. The throes of her orgasm sparked his own, and her pussy wrung him dry as he came with a soft groan, neither of them ever breaking eye contact. They were both panting from the intensity of their shared climax.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cloud gently laid Tifa’s leg back down on the bed, then leaned forward and kissed her sweetly. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She was already halfway back to sleep but smiled at him all the same. “Good night, Cloud.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Good night, Tifa.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He stayed up for a bit, watching her sleep, soaking in the image of her completely at peace, the bliss of their lovemaking still present on her face. But eventually, his body gave in, and he surrendered himself to dreams, even though he knew they could never compare to what had become his reality.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sunlight painted the bed in stripes when he opened his eyes the next morning. As he stretched his limbs, taking note of the delicious tenderness of his muscles, he discovered that she was gone. Briefly, he panicked, convinced that everything he thought happened between them last night must have been his imagination. But then he registered the sound of the shower in her bathroom, heard the dulcet tones of her humming, and his heart rate gradually returned to normal.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After a few minutes, the shower turned off and she emerged, wrapped in a towel, her long, wet locks dripping as steam poured out from the doorway and followed her to where she stopped at the dresser, opened the top drawer, and pulled out <em>another one of his old tee shirts</em>. She dropped her towel, then threw the shirt on, lifting her damp tresses out of it and letting them fall freely down her back. She picked the towel up off the floor and used it to remove the excess water from the ends of her hair. “Enjoying the show?” Turning and leaning against her dresser, she smirked at him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Immensely,” he replied, smirking at her in return.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She walked over and joined him on the bed. “You hungry?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He hadn’t realized it until she mentioned it, but yes. “Famished.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, what do you want? Anything in particular?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Right now, I’m so hungry, I’d probably settle for one of those awful frozen TV dinners.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She giggled and said, “Oh my gosh, Marlene <em>loves</em> those. She practically lives on Lean Cuisines.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He grimaced. “Youths.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How about I make you some chocolate chip pancakes? I know they're your favorite.” She sang the last sentence, completely charming.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em>Yes</em>, except I—”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You like them better when they’re not completely done, I know. Don’t worry, your mom taught me her special technique.” Her face fell slightly at the mention of his mom, and it made his heart clench. He wondered if his face looked the same. “I miss her,” she said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He fought back tears as he squeezed her hand and said, “Yeah, I miss her, too.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A minute or so passed as they sat there, holding each other’s hand and letting their sadness run its course. Then Tifa sniffled, wiped a hand across her face, and planted a kiss on Cloud’s cheek. “I’m gonna go downstairs and get breakfast started if you wanna hop in the shower, okay?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He just nodded silently, his eyes trailing after her as she left the room. He mustered the strength to stand up and, about ten minutes later, he was in fresh sweats with towel dried hair, walking down the stairs toward the kitchen. Zack and Tifa’s Google Home was playing some R&amp;B station. If he hadn’t already known that she was the only one in the house with him, the music that was playing would’ve been a dead giveaway. As much as she’d always loved the concerts he took her to, rock ‘n’ roll was never her favorite genre. Back then, she would’ve given up a limb for a ticket to see Destiny’s Child.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But the nostalgia of her music choice was replaced by something very different once he turned the corner into the kitchen. She’d thrown her hair into a large, messy bun on top of her head, held together by a chopstick, one hand flipping a pancake while the other ran up and down her body as she danced sensuously to the song that was resonating from the speaker. Her hips swayed <em>just so</em>, lifting the tee shirt she was wearing so that it only barely kept her ass covered. Her thigh highs were gone now, so he could see the perfect, sinuous curves of her calves and thighs, could see the coiled muscle lurking just beneath her skin, begging to be put to use. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She saw him with her peripheral vision as she flipped the next pancake and smiled. “Your gross, runny pancakes are almost done if you wanna…” His thoughts must have been abundantly clear from the look on his face because her eyes widened when she turned and fully took him in. “Uh…” She swiftly and efficiently transferred the finished pancakes from the skillet to the plate set aside for them, then turned off the stovetop and moved the skillet off the burner before reaching out and shutting the Google Home off. She wiped her palms down her sides nervously and asked, “Where do you want me?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His cock jumped to attention. “Counter,” he said, nodding toward the island in the middle of the kitchen, covered in pancake ingredients. She obeyed, walking to the island and standing with her back to its edge. He came to stand in front of her, then reached around to swipe everything off of the counter, flour flying everywhere. Disregarding the mess he’d just made, he grabbed her by the waist and easily lifted her onto the countertop, her legs dangling off of it. “Lay back,” he commanded. Once she had, he slid her slightly further onto the counter and pushed up the hem of her tee shirt, holding it there. Then, with his other hand, he slipped his index finger inside of her, making her gasp. His index finger had gone in quite easily, so he added his middle finger, and it didn’t find much resistance either. When he added his ring finger, she squirmed, finally starting to feel a stretch. But he hadn’t even touched her and already had three fingers inside of her. “Someone’s eager,” he teased. “Were you thinking about what we did last night?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She nodded desperately.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Let’s see if I can give you something new to think about.” Punctuating his statement, he hooked his fingers inside of her, searching for the sweet spot that would drive her crazy. It wasn’t too hard to find, and it certainly wasn’t hard to figure out <em>when</em> he found it because she slammed her hand onto the counter and cried out. He bent down then and lapped his tongue over her clit, a low, throaty moan spilling from her lips.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He continued making passes with his tongue as he started to move his fingers in and out of her, making sure to brush over that spongy patch deep inside her each time. Every so often, he would stop his tongue’s movements to wrap his lips around her clit and suck on it. She tasted good, <em>so good</em>, and it only made him work her faster. “I’m so close,” she whispered, her thighs starting to shake. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He kept going, going, <em>going</em> until she finally snapped, her pleasure cresting with a wave-like crash. Her hands flew to the back of his head, holding him to her while she screamed and rubbed herself all over his face, his fingers never slowing their onslaught inside of her. When it finally became too much, she pulled on his hair, signalling him to stop.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His mouth, chin, and hand were covered with her. Her thigh muscles continued convulsing for some time after her orgasm had completed, so she stayed still, letting it pass. Afterwards, she suddenly sat up, scooting to the very edge of the island and reaching for his waistband. He followed her lead, immediately dropping his pants and lining himself up. Then he plunged himself inside her with one quick thrust. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He wrapped his hands around her waist and started to move, so effortless with how wet she was from her release. He filled her up entirely, driving all the way in with each push. His tempo was steady and sure. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But it wasn’t enough. “Harder,” she growled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As if his body had been waiting for permission, he instantly started to piston his hips at a ruthless speed, one of his hands coming up to circle around her neck while the other moved to her lower back, pressing her closer to him so that each time he dove inside her his pelvis bumped against her clit. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She peered up at him from under her dark lashes, her brilliant red eyes shining, while she keened wantonly. He wasn’t going to last with her looking at him like that, he just couldn’t. He pumped faster and faster, harder and harder until her hands came around to grip his ass, her hips grinding, filthy and erratic, as she started to come. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and he had to hold her up by her neck as her body went limp from the aftershocks of her orgasm. Then he was coming, too, the hand he’d placed on her lower back moving to the counter to brace himself as pleasure permeated every cell in his body.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She tucked her arms into her chest and leaned against him for support. He held her, placing tender kisses to the side of her neck as she recovered. They sat there, just breathing together, until she finally mustered the strength to sit up on her own, placing her palms flat on the counter. He slipped out of her, each of them wincing from the sensitivity.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Whoops,” she said, looking down at the pancake calamity that covered the floor of the kitchen. Their eyes met as she looked back up at him, and they burst into laughter.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Come on, let’s go upstairs and get <em>ourselves</em> cleaned up, so we can come back down here and get <em>this</em> cleaned up.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You expect me to walk up stairs right now? I can barely feel my legs.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He rolled his eyes, then scooped her into his arms and headed for her bedroom. She didn’t stop giggling the whole way there.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>About twenty minutes later, they walked downstairs together, having stopped to make out at several points along the way. Tifa had thrown on a pair of panties and jeans after a quick scrub down, and Cloud had thrown on a tee shirt. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>As they got closer, they heard voices coming from the kitchen. They walked in to discover Zack and Aerith staring at the floor where the mixing bowl with remnants of batter and measuring cups filled with eggs and flour had spilled. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zack turned as they walked into the room and glared at them. He looked them over, noticing that they were holding hands, taking note of the love bites on their necks, the pieces of hair falling from Tifa’s now extra messy bun. One of his eyes started to twitch, and Cloud knew that meant they were in trouble. “Tell me you two did <em>not</em> fuck on my kitchen counter.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cloud leaned toward Tifa and whispered, “Should we run for it?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tifa covered her mouth with her left hand to hide her laughter, and Zack zeroed in on her ring finger. He squawked, pointed at it dramatically, then looked to Aerith as if seeking guidance, but she was just smiling like a madwoman, so he looked back to Tifa. “No fucking way.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Aw, come on, Zack. I thought you’d be happy for us. You said you <em>wanted</em> this to happen.” Cloud bit back a shit-eating grin.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zack looked at Cloud, then the mess on his kitchen floor, and said, “No, I’ve changed my mind. I hate this, and I am gonna kick both your asses.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Aerith walked up, utterly bemused, and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Babe, leave them alone. You remember what we were like when we first got together.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We never wasted perfectly good pancake mix!” he protested.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She snickered. “Yes, that is quite a shame but maybe not worth busting the vein open that’s bulging out of your forehead right now?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zack sighed, defeated, and turned back to his best friend and sister. “Fine, but it better not happen again.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No promises,” Cloud snarked, and Tifa slapped his chest.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Anyway,” Zack said, obviously dying to move on from this conversation, “if you want, we can go pick your baby up from the airport today, Cloud.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cloud’s face lit up. In the whirlwind of everything that happened yesterday, he’d almost forgotten about his baby entirely. “Yes, we’re doing that.” He looked at Tifa and said, “You’re gonna love this. Let’s clean the kitchen, heat up the pancakes you made for brunch, then we can go. Cool?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tifa beamed at him. “Cool.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After an hour or so, Zack was dropping Cloud and Tifa off at the airport parking lot’s main office. Tifa hopped out of the car and headed for the front door as Cloud hopped out of the back seat and made to follow her. But Zack rolled down his window and called for him. Cloud ran up to the passenger side door. “What’s up?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I really am happy for you, dude. For both of you. I just wanna make sure you know that.” Zack was looking him deep in the eye, completely sincere.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I know,” he promised.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zack huffed a laugh. “I do hate you for managing to propose before I did, though. Dick move.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey, you snooze, you lose.” Chuckling, Cloud waved as Zack drove off, then headed toward the front door of the office, joining Tifa inside. She was standing at the counter talking to the receptionist. “Hi, I’m Cloud Strife! I’m here to pick up.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The receptionist looked at him like she’d forgotten where she was, distracted by Tifa’s intoxicating presence. He couldn’t blame her. “Oh, right! I’ll just need to see an ID, sir. Then you’ll be good to go.” He got it out and showed it to her. “Perfect. I’ll be right back.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She walked into a back room, then returned with a small key in hand, offering it to him. He took it and saluted at her. “Thank you, miss.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re welcome, sir.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He moved toward the door, and Tifa followed but not before turning back to the receptionist and saying, “It was nice to meet you, Sarah. I hope you get that raise.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thank you, Tifa.” Somehow, Cloud had managed to get the most likable person in the entire world to fall in love with him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>They walked to the parking spot designated on the keychain, row D, spot 3. When Cloud stopped in front of it, Tifa’s mouth fell open in shock.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I finished building her a few months ago. Meet Fenrir.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She slowly walked up to it, gliding her hands over the fuel tank, grasping one of the handles. Breathless, she said, “I can’t believe that you actually did it, Cloud. This was your dream.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, you were my dream. This was just something I really, really wanted.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She stared at him in awe, then stepped up and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Well, now that you’ve got both, how do you feel?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He shrugged. “Unworthy.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She shook her head. “Classic Cloud.” Her eyes searched his, piercing his very soul. “I forgot how easy it was to get lost in your eyes. Five years without them, and finally seeing them again in my backyard yesterday, it felt like <em>I </em>was the one coming home. Weird, right?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He returned her gaze, staring into the literal eyes of the hurricane that was his life. When nothing else made sense, he could look in her eyes and know that at least one thing did. It had always been that way, would always be that way. He just never realized that his eyes offered the same respite to her. “Not weird at all,” he said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s good.” Then she turned and hopped on the back of his bike seat, patting the space in front of her. “Now let’s blow this popsicle stand.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He beamed, walking up and pulling two helmets out of the pannier, one red and one blue. He placed the red one on Tifa, clasping the strap under her chin, then put on his own. Swinging his leg over the seat and settling in, he asked, “Where to?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She sighed and leaned against his back, looping her arms around his waist and holding tight. “Anywhere,” she said. “As long as I’m with you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He liked the sound of that.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm on twitter as @cIoudsmiIes, so if you like Cloti, we can rant about them together there ❤️</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Follow me on twitter if you wanna talk about Cloti and cry together: @cIoudsmiIes</p></blockquote></div></div>
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